170 



BANDA ORIENTAL. 



Nov. 1833. 



Britain. These gentlemen have learned to like power^ and 

 do not object to a little skirmishing. Hence there are many, 

 always on the watch to create disturbance and to overturn a 

 government, which as yet has never rested on any stable 

 foundation. I noticed however, both here and in other 

 places, a very general interest in the ensuing election for the 

 President ; and this appears a good sign for the prosperity of 

 this little country. The inhabitants do not require much edu- 

 cation in their representatives ; I heard some men discussing 

 the merits of those for Colonia; and it was said that, 

 although they were not men of business, they could all 

 sign their names with this every reasonable man was 

 satisfied. 



18th.— Rode with my host to his estancia, at the Arroyo 

 de San Juan. In the evening we took a ride round the 

 estate. It contained two square leagues and a half; and 

 was situated in what is called a rincon ; that is, one side was 

 fronted by the Plata, and the two others guarded by im- 

 passable brooks. There was an excellent port for little vessels, 

 and an abundance of small wood, which is valuable as sup- 

 plying fuel to Buenos Ayres. I was curious to know the 

 value of so complete an estancia. Of cattle there were 3000, 

 and it would well support three or four times that number ; of 

 mares 800, together with 150 broken horses, and 600 sheep. 

 There was plenty of water and limestone, a rough house, 

 excellent corrals, and a peach orchard. For all this he had 

 been offered 2000/., and only wanted 500/. additional, and 

 probably would sell it for less. The chief trouble with an 

 estancia, is driving the cattle twice a week to a central spot, 

 in order to make them tame, and to count them. This 

 latter operation would be thought difficult, where there are 

 ten or fifteen thousand head together. It is managed on 

 the principle t~hat the cattle invariably divide themselves into 

 httle troops of from forty to one hundred. Each troop is 

 recognised by a few peculiarly marked animals, and its 

 number is known : so that, one being lost out of ten thousand, 

 it is perceived by its absence from one of the tropillas. 



